* Installing Windows with no CD-ROM *

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pc_boy

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I have this older laptop and the CD-rom is busted. I need to get windows installed on it, but i don't know how to make it boot without the CD. I have a USB external HD, and i can load the Windows CD on there, but I don't know to make it boot off the HD, I mean it's a USB one. I can't open it up and hook it with an IDE cable because it's a laptop. Any help appreciated.

Thanks bre~

EDIT: the laptop doesn't have an option in the BIOS thing where you can tell it to "boot of USB" or have the USB as a secondary master. It has only:

IDE Removable
ATAPI Removable
CD-ROM
Auto
User

tell me which one to use.

thanks x2
 
The only option you have is to download the files needed and run them right from the HDD. Other than that you dont have any options but to get a new CD drive.
 
Or just get the laptop and go to a friends house. I am sure that you laptop must have a Network card on it.

Transfer files from your friends PC CD-Drive. and thats it.
 
Makaveli213 said:
The only option you have is to download the files needed and run them right from the HDD. Other than that you dont have any options but to get a new CD drive.

That's true. I have a friend who swears by installing from the harddrive. He never installs Windows from the CD. All you have to do is boot to your normal built-in harddrive, then just run the setup file that is on your USB harddrive. You don't have to boot to that one.
 
I tried windows XP on it but it's too slow to run it, so I want to downgrade back to windows 2k (the one that came with the PC) but it won't let me because it says "the windows you are trying to install is an older version of the one currently running. Setup will now quit" or something like that. It ****es me off that you can't go back, freaking microsoft. Is there any way I can like still install it, like get passed that error message crap?

would be real tight if i get some help
thanks so far
 
The only way would be to format the drive. Other than that there will be no way to startup the install from within XP.
 
If i format the drive, then how the F would I install win 2k? CD doesn't work, and it won't boot from external HD

the only thing I can think of is to get a boot disk, enter CMD before windows boots, and then plug in the external HD and do

D: setup.exe

the only problem is that i don't have a floppy disk. Is there any way i can enter the command prompt or DOS style thing without a disk? I tried to boot in Safemode with Command prompt but that doesn't work. I can't let windows start up, or else it won't let me begin the setup.
 
I'd save up a couple of bucks and get a new cd drive. I saw a notebook cd-rom drive on pricewatch.com for $18.99. That would save a lot of headaches.
 
Or, you could pull out the drive, buy a 2.5" to 3" or whatever (Laptop HDD to Desktop IDE cable) adapter for 5 bucks on Newegg or a computer store. Put the Laptop HDD in the adapter, plug the power into a molex connector from your PSU, and the IDE into a free IDE cable, then boot up the desktop, install the OS, then move the drive back into the laptop. The PC I'm using now uses a laptop HDD (old machine, busted laptop, the only working part was the HDD so I put it in this old comp using an adapter, it works great)
 
that's pretty messed up. I can't get DOS to recognize any USB connected memory. Looks like I gotta buy something, either a new CD ROM or a HD cable. I'm pretty sure you can have some mobos boot from flash drive, but I don't know why this won't.

Only thing I can think of is to "hack" the setup so that it let's me run it in windows. I don't get why Microsoft makes it so you can't downgrade. ****es me off.
 
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